Information about each Subject – Emmbrook Junior School, Junior School in Wokingham

Subject Overviews: English l Writing l Reading l Oracy l Maths l Science l PE l Computing l PSHE l BSL l History l Geography l Art l Design Technology l Music l RE

English

English Subject Leaders: Miss Hunter (Writing), Miss Biln (Reading) and Mrs Liddiard (Phonics)

We believe that a high-quality English curriculum should develop our children’s love of reading, writing and talk. We want to inspire all children to be confident in all areas of the English curriculum because a secure basis in literacy skills will give our children the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society. We intend for all pupils to learn to read and write fluently so that they are able to access all areas of the curriculum and be able to demonstrate what they have learnt. Through reading and exploring quality literature, all pupils will develop their knowledge of the world across the curriculum for information and pleasure.

Writing

To see our writing content spine and progression maps, please click here.

Writing is a key aspect of the curriculum and along with reading and speaking and listening, it makes a significant contribution to the development of children as thinkers and learners, as well as being essential for progressing across the curriculum and preparing for adult life. It is a central part of the school’s role that all pupils develop their writing ability and enjoy the process of cultivating this lifelong skill.

By the time they leave Emmbrook Junior, children are able to produce written work of a high standard in all areas of the curriculum, being able to use the characteristics of different genres of writing, both fiction and non-fiction. Children will be aware that writing is a means of developing, organising and communicating ideas in all aspects of life. They will have a love for writing and write for enjoyment, experimenting with different forms, styles and genres.

The writing curriculum is inextricably linked to all other aspects of English. Rich and varied reading texts are chosen which are used as models for writing, enabling children to develop the strong vocabulary and sentence structures required for outstanding writing. Alongside this, we aim to ensure that children have experience of writing in a variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction, including poetry, classic texts and plays.

At Emmbrook Junior School, we aspire to provide children with exciting, purposeful and inspiring contexts in which to become writers. We aim to give children the relevant writing skills they require to become confident independent writers, by providing them with high quality teaching and learning on a daily basis. We believe in continuous learning of basic writing skills including grammar, punctuation and spelling. We aim to enable children to ‘write like readers’ and ‘read like writers.’

How do we teach writing?

We provide children with high quality teaching and learning on a daily basis. We use a writing journey approach which includes working towards a final piece of independent work. Understanding that writing is always carried out for particular audiences and purposes is a key part of the writing process that is focussed on in depth at the beginning of a new piece of writing. Along the way, children are given opportunities to gather vocabulary and develop language strategies, taught the explicit grammar and punctuation needed for that particular genre, along with regular modelling of texts by the teacher, in order to explain the construction and editing of texts.

Children proof- read, edit, redraft and publish on a regular basis to produce a final polished piece that they can be proud of. Scaffolding tools such as writing frames and word banks encourage pupils to develop expertise in skills. We use partner talk to allow children to discuss ideas and share with the whole class, promoting oracy (an essential skill in developing writing ability). Spelling is taught as a separate subject, but all spelling is integrated into the writing journey.

Spelling
Understanding how to spell correctly is important in supporting children to organise their thinking around language. Knowing how to apply spelling rules and recognising key words is empowering for children. We use the 2014 National Curriculum as a guideline as to which spelling rules, patterns and exception words should be taught in which year group and follow the No Nonsense Spelling Scheme.

Handwriting

We place value on children taking pride and care over their work. The development of handwriting skills is vital in enabling pupils to write quickly and fluently, and for them to take pride in the presentation of their work throughout the curriculum. At EJS we follow the structure and resources from Nelson Handwriting.

Reading

To see our reading content spine and progression maps, please click here.

The purpose of our reading curriculum at Emmbrook Junior School is to cultivate a lifelong love of reading while ensuring that all children develop the essential literacy skills outlined in the National Curriculum. We aim to provide diverse and engaging texts that not only enhance decoding and comprehension abilities but also foster critical thinking and creativity. By creating a supportive reading community through collaborative activities, targeted interventions, and enrichment opportunities, we strive to meet the varied needs of all learners, encouraging them to explore, analyse, and connect with a wide range of literature. Ultimately, our goal is to empower children to become confident, independent readers who can navigate both academic challenges and the broader world with skill and enthusiasm.

Through our reading curriculum, we inspire an appreciation of rich and varied literary heritage (both modern and traditional) and embed a culture of reading for pleasure. There is a pathway of both coverage and progression that ensures children are given the opportunities to make links between books as well as build upon prior knowledge and skills to add depth of understanding. The children have opportunities to explore the intricacies of a quality text through purposeful discussion where they are encouraged to voice their opinions and pose questions. Comprehension of a book or text is a fundamental part of reading therefore we maintain a focus on teaching children the key elements on the National Curriculum.

By the time children leave Emmbrook Junior School at the end of Year 6, they will have been exposed to high-quality texts across the whole curriculum. Aligning with the National Curriculum objectives, EJS focuses on developing children’s reading fluency, comprehension, and analytical skills across a variety of texts. Students are expected to read widely, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and to develop the ability to understand vocabulary in context, infer information, predict using given information, explain their ideas through reference to a text, retrieve information and summarise a text. By the end of KS2, pupils should be able to engage critically with texts, articulate their thoughts, and express preferences, laying a strong foundation for further literacy development and lifelong reading enjoyment.

Children will be able to:

Read fluently, understanding what they are reading about
Access a range of strategies to support their reading skills
Identify the key elements of a nourishing and diverse reading diet
Understand that reading serves a range of purposes
Choose books suited to their needs, interests and abilities and read these for pleasure
Talk in detail about the contents, themes and characters within books
Recommend books to others, justifying their reasons
Show respect and thoughtfulness for others through the characters and plots they encounter in their books.

How do we teach reading?

At EJS we aim to give the children a well-rounded approach to reading to develop both their fluency and comprehension skills. We do this through a variety of ways including:

We teach reading through carefully selected books (six per year group) from a range of genres, time periods and authors. Many of the books link to the wider curriculum.
We model fluency through adults reading aloud to children.
We provide children with the opportunities to read aloud to peers and adults in a variety of settings to develop their own fluency.
We enhance the teaching of comprehension by using supplementary texts with cross-curricular links, including poetry and non-fiction.
Teachers model reading skills regularly. These skills are then practised, applied and assessed.
Children record relevant reading activities in their reading journals, and practise writing responses to questions using evidence from the text through a variety of activities including a weekly comprehension.
Adults use questioning to help the children decode, predict, describe, clarify, summarise, infer and make links with prior knowledge.

At EJS, our well-structured reading curriculum will significantly enhance children’s literacy skills, fostering both academic success and personal development. By providing a diverse range of texts and incorporating evidence-based teaching strategies, children will build their reading fluency, comprehension, and critical thinking skills. Importantly, it will foster a love for reading, which in turn will support vocabulary growth and knowledge acquisition across subjects. Additionally, reading at EJS will promote social and emotional skills by enabling children to engage with diverse perspectives and narratives. Ultimately, our reading curriculum will prepare our young ‘earners to navigate the complexities of the modern world, empowering them to become confident, lifelong readers who can thrive both academically and socially .

Early Reading

We use Read Write Inc Phonics to assess and support any child who is unable to decode fluently. Universal screening is done for all children in year 3, and regular screening takes place for any children in year 4 and above who have gaps in their phonetical knowledge.

For children who have these gaps, phonics lessons take place in place of the whole class reading lessons, following the Read Write Inc scheme.

Accelerated Reader

We use a reading programme called Accelerated Reader (AR) to rigorously measure and monitor children’s progress and to motivate them to read regularly and widely. Using AR provides children with the opportunity to apply and improve the knowledge and skills they have developed in lessons.

What are STAR Reading Tests?

Every child completes a termly STAR reading test on a computer which is a computer-generated adaptive test, where the questions continually adjust to the child’s responses, getting harder or easier accordingly. The data gives us a reading age, standardised score and Zone of Proximal Development for each child, as well as personalised information about their strengths and areas for development within reading.

What is a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?

The Zone of Proximal Development is defined by Vygotsky (1978) as “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.”

The books in our school library have been grouped according to their ZPD and related book level (as recommended by AR). The ZPD range aims to challenge a child without causing frustration or loss of motivation.

All children will have access to a wide range of books which are suitable to their reading level. To ensure children experience success from the start, they will begin each term by taking books at the lower end of their ZPD range and then selecting a slightly more challenging book each time.

Reading Books

Children choose their own books to read, rather than having one assigned to them. This makes reading a much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them within their ZPD range.

Each reading book has a personalised label on the inside cover which shows important information. This is an example of a book label.

B.L. = book level. A child uses their ZPD range to decide which books are appropriate for them to read. A child with a ZPD range of 2.8 – 4.0 would be able to read ‘Air Raid’ (see the example label) and it will be slightly challenging for them as it is towards the top end of their ZPD range.

Points = points value based on the difficulty of the book and the number of words.

Just because a child can read the words in a book does not mean the content is appropriate. The interest level of the material is also be considered. Lower Years interest level (LY) (5-8 yrs old); Middle years interest level (MY) (9-13 yrs old); Upper Years interest level (UY) (14+ yrs old).

What are the AR Quizzes?

When children finish reading their book, they take a short online quiz independently on the computer in school. Passing the quiz is an indication that they have understood what they have read and supports comprehension and retrieval practice. (We aim for all quizzes to be taken within 48 hours of finishing a book.) The children are able to earn points for each AR quiz that they do. For quizzes with 3, 5 or 10 questions, a child needs to pass a quiz with a score of 60% or higher to earn points. For quizzes with 20 questions, a child needs to pass with a score of 70% or higher to earn points.

There are two main types of multiple-choice online quizzes which give children and staff instant feedback based on the quiz results, and is used to help set goals and direct ongoing reading practice.

- Reading Practice Quizzes
- Vocabulary Practice Quizzes.

If a child does not do well on the quiz, a member of staff may help your child:

- Choose another book that is more appropriate.
- Ask more probing questions as your child reads and before your child takes a quiz.
- Pair your child with another student, or even have the book read to your child.

How much time should a child spend reading?

As with anything, performance improves with practice. At Emmbrook Junior School, we encourage children to read at home for at least 10-15 minutes a minimum of five times a week. Parental support in this is much appreciated. According to research, children who read at least 20 minutes a day, with a 90% success rate on AR quizzes see the greatest gains.

How can parents help?

Encourage your child to read with you and/or discuss what they have read. A child may be able to decode and read the words but may not have understood it, so asking questions about the book is important. Reading with your child, no matter what the age, is an important part of developing good reading skills and a lifelong love of reading.

Try to either read TO or WITH your child every day as well as encouraging independent reading.

If you would like to find more books within your child’s ZPD range, then here is a link to Accelerated Reader Bookfinder: https://www.arbookfind.co.uk/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fdefault.aspx Simply go onto the ‘advanced search’ option and type in your child’s ZPD. Remember to indicate what interest level you are looking for too! You will then be able to browse from a selection of books perfect for your child’s current level – ideal for gifts or to restock their bookshelves at home.

Oracy

Quality talk underpins our entire English curriculum. We believe that all children have the right to a high-quality oracy education, enabling them to develop the key communication skills and confidence needed to succeed in all stages of life. Children need the vocabulary and non-verbal cues to say what they want to say and communicate with others effectively. In an ever-evolving world, it is fundamental that all our children are able to make their voices heard so that they are empowered to express themselves as active citizens. Our teachers create purposeful opportunities to harness oracy in order to elevate learning at all levels.

Maths

Maths Subject Leaders: Mrs Bendall

To view our maths content spine and progression maps please click here.

Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems.

It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment.

A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:

become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. The programmes of study are organised into distinct domains and pupils will be encouraged to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. They can also apply their mathematical knowledge to science, technology and many other subjects.

How is maths taught at Emmbrook Junior School?

Maths at Emmbrook Junior School is taught using a ‘mastery’ approach. Mastering maths means pupils acquiring a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject and being able to apply concepts in many different contexts. Maths is taught in all-attainment class groups, where the focus is on all pupils working together on the same lesson content at the same time, as happens in Shanghai and several other regions that have been studied for their successful maths teaching. This ensures that all children can master concepts before moving to the next part of the curriculum sequence, allowing no pupil to be left behind. If a pupil fails to grasp a concept or procedure, this is identified quickly, and early intervention, scaffolds and support work ensures that the pupil is ready to move forward with the whole class.

Teaching is based on the White Rose Maths Hub approach, with lesson design identifying the new mathematics that is to be taught, the key points and potential misconceptions to create a carefully sequenced journey through the learning. Procedural fluency and conceptual understanding are developed in tandem because each supports the development of the other.

White Rose resources are supplemented where appropriate by additional resources identified by teachers e.g. NCETM Mastery planning and resources, PiXL therapies and other fluency and reasoning resources. Discussion is a key part of teaching, with children being expected to explain their approach to questions. This allows for the development of deeper understanding as well as providing assessment opportunities. Each lesson follows the ‘I do, We do, You do’ approach with teacher models of the concept being followed by shared work before independent practice that both reinforces pupils’ procedural fluency and develops their conceptual understanding.

Concrete resources are available in all classrooms, with the expectation that children will move from the use of these through pictorial representations to abstract as they gain a secure mental model of the concept. Children have access to a range of concrete resources and are strongly encouraged to use these to develop a deeper understanding of concepts by seeing it visually, rather than as an abstract; for example, using resources such as Numicon in Upper KS2 enhances the understanding of complex fractions.

Fluency sessions happen frequently outside of the main maths lessons, and focus on key facts such as multiplication tables and addition facts. In Years 3 and 4, children focus on developing knowledge of times tables through a rote learning methodology regularly, and Years 5 and 6 focus on consolidating fluency in all aspects of mental arithmetic.

The CPA Approach

Through Power Maths, we use a CPA approach to teach Maths which is highly effective in supporting children to develop and deepen their mathematical understanding.

Concrete – Otherwise known as the ‘doing’ stage! We provide children with concrete objects and manipulatives to help them model problems and to bring abstract problems to life. Examples of manipulatives include cubes, coins, shapes and fraction cards.

Pictorial – Otherwise known as the ‘seeing’ stage! The children build upon the concrete approach by using pictorial representations. These representations can then be used to reason and solve problems. This stage encourages children to make a connection between the physical object they just handled and the abstract pictures, diagrams or models that represent the objects from the problem. Drawing a model can make it easier for children to grasp difficult abstract concepts. Bar models and part-part-whole models are particularly useful.

Abstract – Otherwise known as the ‘symbolic’ stage. Children will not progress to this stage until they have demonstrated that they have a solid understanding of the concrete and pictorial stages first. The abstract stage involves the teacher introducing mathematical concepts through numbers, notation, and mathematical symbols.

Science

Science Subject Leader: Mrs Preston

To see our content spine and progression maps for Science, please click here.

At Emmbrook Junior School, our science curriculum is designed to provide children with a solid foundation in scientific knowledge and understanding. We aim to inspire curiosity about the world around them by connecting lessons to real-life experiences, making science relevant and engaging. Through hands-on experiments and investigations, children will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, learning to ask questions, test hypotheses, and analyse results. Collaborative group work encourages teamwork and effective communication, allowing children to share ideas and learn from each other. Our goal is not only to cultivate a love for science but also to instil resilience and adaptability as they tackle challenges in their experiments. We want to prepare children for future studies in science, helping them become confident, inquisitive learners ready to navigate an ever-changing world.

At Emmbrook Junior School, we provide our pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum designed to inspire their curiosity about the world through the scientific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. We offer children scientific knowledge and methodologies, while also providing real-life contexts that make their learning relevant. Our students are encouraged to recognize the power of rational explanation through exciting investigations that build on their natural curiosity, allowing them to design, carry out, and evaluate their own scientific inquiries.

Lessons are underpinned by opportunities for practical activities. This hands-on approach—coupled with established theory—fosters a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world they live in.

In an ever-changing world, where our children’s future jobs may not yet exist, it is vital that we equip them with the necessary tools to contribute to our evolving understanding of the world, recognize how science has already changed their lives, and envision how it may shape their future.

How do we teach Science at Emmbrook Junior School?

At Emmbrook Junior School, we have crafted our science curriculum into thematic units across the key stage that develop children’s understanding of current scientific knowledge as well as the critical thinking skills required for investigative work. This is achieved through inquiry-based learning, where children engage in practical experiments and investigations, encouraging them to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, and test their ideas. Lessons often relate to everyday life, making science relevant and stimulating curiosity.

Science is taught in integrated units that combine different areas of study (e.g., exploring plants and animals together). Teachers may also integrate science with other subjects like maths, geography, and art to provide a broader learning experience. An important aspect of our teaching is the emphasis on scientific vocabulary, helping students articulate their ideas and deepen their understanding of concepts.

In lessons, we expect children to use a variety of tools and materials (e.g., hand lenses, scales, and measuring instruments) to facilitate hands-on learning. They will explore our local environment, such as the pond and wooded areas, to enhance their learning through real-world exploration. Children are encouraged to work collaboratively in pairs or small groups, promoting teamwork, discussion, and peer learning. They will have opportunities to share their findings with classmates, enhancing their communication skills and understanding, including the use of tablets, computers, and interactive whiteboards for research, simulations, and presentations.

Throughout lessons, teachers will use quizzes, observations, and discussions to assess understanding, along with more formal assessments at the end of units to evaluate knowledge and skills gained. Where appropriate, lessons are adapted to meet the diverse needs of students, ensuring that all learners can engage with and understand the material.

By combining these approaches, we aim to develop children’s knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for science, preparing them for further study and fostering a lifelong interest in the subject.

Physical Education (PE)

PE Subject Leader: Mrs Threlfall

To see our content spine and progression maps for PE, please click here.

A high-quality Physical Education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.

Through our provision of Physical Education (PE), we aim to provide our pupils with the confidence and ability to stretch their physical and mental wellbeing. We teach the necessary sporting skills to develop life-long qualities such as collaboration, respect and courage. We create opportunities for everyone to make progress and refine their skills. Inclusivity is strongly promoted through PE lessons so that everyone can achieve, take part and lead healthy active lives.

How is PE taught at Emmbrook Junior School?

Children are taught by the sports coach and their class teachers for 2 PE sessions a week.

Children develop skills in Gymnastics and Dance, Striking and fielding, Invasion games, Net and Wall games, Athletics and OAA.

Children in Year 6 are given the opportunity to become Sports Leaders and attend training. Throughout the year, the sports leader team plan, lead and mentor sporting activities with children in other year groups.

All children in Year 5 take part in swimming lessons in a 10 week block where they are able to build skills and work towards swimming 25m and learn water safety skills.

Children in Year 6 are given the opportunity to take part in a range of OAA activities as part of a week long residential. Activities can typically include: Canoeing, Kayaking, Climbing, Abseiling, Bouldering, Rifle shooting, Archery, Low and High ropes, Blind Maze and Caving.

Across the school, sports initiatives are used to keep pupils active and develop skills: Daily Mile, Movement breaks, break and lunchtime play. Additional sports events are planned for example: School Sports and Games Day, Interhouse competitions, Bikeability, Workshops with athletes and external sports coaches and Modeshift travel initiatives.

Children will develop their individual and team skills and work in differing groups to enable skill and knowledge sharing, co-operation and social interaction on different levels. Within other curriculum lessons, children are encouraged to be physically active where possible during their learning.

We aim for each child to represent the school in sporting events, should they so wish, during their educational journey at EJS. There are many different types of sporting competitions. School Games events include festivals, mini-leagues, Wokingham qualifiers and Wokingham main competitions, some of which provide the opportunity to progress to county level competitions in the Berkshire School Games. We also compete in the Thames Valley Running League and the Wokingham football leagues (for both mixed teams as well as development squads), as well as taking part in annual tournaments or Circle Trust competitions.

As part of the School Games Mark, we offer children the opportunity to take part in a range of Mixed Football, Mixed Netball, Sportshall Athletics, New Age Kurling, Boccia, Ten pin bowling, Swimming Gala, SMASH Badminton, Tennis, TAG Rugby, Cricket and Tri-Golf.

We offer a range of after-school sporting clubs throughout the year for all year groups, including Football, Dodgeball, Netball, Cricket, Tennis, Multiskills, Badminton, Rounders, Basketball, Gymnastics and Dance.

Class PE

Each lesson will consist of:

a) warm up and stretches, appropriate to the sport

b) main body of the lesson to develop skills and then to incorporate them into games/activities (small sided if appropriate) with time to evaluate and review the skills mid lesson so that children have time to reflect and adapt

c) cool down/plenary- review of skills developed, things that went well, things to improve

There should be an emphasis on pupils being active for the majority of the session.

Key objectives are set out at the start of the unit and each lesson will build from the last.

Differentiation is provided through STEP (Space, Time, Equipment and People) and where children have the opportunity to progress and challenge themselves.

Children are given opportunities to acquire, develop, select and apply skills, knowledge and understanding and elements of fitness and health.

Computing

Computing Subject Leader –

To view our computing content spine and progression maps, click here.

We encourage our children to enjoy and value the curriculum we deliver. We want learners to discuss, respect and appreciate the impact computing has on their learning, development and wellbeing. Finding the right balance with technology is key to an effective education and a healthy life-style. We want the way we implement computing to help children realise the need for the right balance so they are masters of technology and not slaves to it. The way pupils showcase, share, celebrate and publish their work will best show the impact of our curriculum. We also look for evidence through reviewing pupil’s knowledge and skills digitally through the use of quizzing and observing learning regularly.

The purpose of computing at Emmbrook Junior School is to ensure that our children are confident users of technology at a level which prepares them for entering the 21st Century workplace. It allows them to connect with the wider world in a safe and responsible manner and equips them to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems.

The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content.

Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – so they are active participants in a digital world.

The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils: 

can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation 
can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems 
can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems 
are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology

How do we teach computing at Emmbrook Junior School?

At Emmbrook Junior School, we use The Computing Curriculum by Teach Computing and Raspberry Pi to ensure broad and deep learning takes place using programs which build a foundational knowledge of common software which children will continue to use in their later lives.

Units are planned coherently to ensure skills build gradually and are revisited in a spiral fashion each year. This reduces the amount of knowledge lost through forgetting, as computing topics are revisited yearly and sometimes between units in the same year. It also ensures that, regardless of having a new teacher and being in a new year group, connections are made and vocabulary remains consistent across the year groups.

Within lessons, teachers begin by sharing a recap and the success criteria for the lesson; children use the success criteria to assess themselves and their confidence level at the end of the lesson. A combination of videos and live modelling happens on interactive whiteboards, before or during the independent or group work. Many lessons require the children to access technology either individually, with a partner or in groups. For these lessons, the teacher acts as a facilitator, modelling the task and supporting where appropriate. However, not all lessons require technology. For example, where a new concept is being taught or when the focus is on algorithms, the teacher will lead the learning and impart knowledge using physical activities instead. At the end of each unit, there is a summative assessment opportunity in the form of either a multiple choice quiz or a rubric. This, along with the outcomes produced during the unit, allows teachers to make a judgement around what a learner has understood from the unit.

Wherever possible, links are made to other subjects. For example, Year 6 pupils create their website using their knowledge from the geography unit at the time; this means children see information technology as a useful tool to support learning.

Online safety is a thread weaved throughout all computing lessons and in other subjects such as PSHE. The wallpaper on all laptops and PCs, when children log in at Emmbrook Junior School, reminds them to be SMART when using technology and every year they are reminded on Safer Internet Day about how to remain safe online.

Our computing hardware includes a suite of 32 PCs and two class sets of laptops for computer programming, website use and use of publishing software. We also make use of Crumble controllers for a unit in Year 5 and micro:bits in Year 6.

PSHE

PSHE Subject Leader – Mrs Brooks

To view our PSHE content spine and progression maps, click here.

Our PSHE curriculum aims to help pupils understand how to play a positive and successful role within our society, both as a child and as an adult.

We provide pupils with a knowledge of their world, locally, nationally and globally and give them confidence to tackle many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up within this.

We aim to provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society.

We aim to develop pupils’ awareness of themselves as individuals as well as develop their awareness of their own and others’ physical and emotional wellbeing. PSHE is taught to ensure children are well-rounded individuals when they leave Emmbrook Junior School.

Our aims are to:

Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place
Prepare pupils for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health and hygiene
Help pupils develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy
Create a positive culture around issues of sexuality and relationships
Teach pupils the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies
Provide information which is easy to understand, relevant and appropriate to the age and maturity of the pupils
Include the development of social and communication skills
Encourage the exploration and clarification of values and attitudes

The RSE programme at Emmbrook Junior School will reflect the school’s ethos and demonstrate and encourage the following values:

Respect for self
Respect for others
Responsibility for one’s own actions
Responsibility to one’s family, friends, school and wider community

How are PSHE and RSE taught at Emmbrook Junior School?

We use a mindful approach to teach PSHE to support children’s well-being and underpins their personal development. In lessons, we support children’s development as human beings; empower them with a voice and help equip them for life and learning. This very much links to our school motto of ‘Roots to Grow; Wings to Fly’.

We use SCARF (a PSHE curriculum: Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship) to complement our tailored and comprehensive scheme of work for PSHE, RSE and Wellbeing education. It covers all of the DfE’s statutory requirements for Relationships Education and Health Education, including non-statutory Sex Education, and the PSHE Association’s Programme of Study’s recommended learning opportunities, as well as contributing to different subject areas in the National Curriculum.

We follow the six suggested half-termly units and adapt the scheme of work where necessary to meet the local circumstances of our school and individual needs of all of our learners. All staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and resources to deliver PSHE education confidently. Teachers can access a range of teaching support resources within SCARF, including guidance documents and teacher training films. Lessons build upon children’s prior learning and there is planned progression across the SCARF scheme of work, so that children are increasingly and appropriately challenged as they move up through the school.

We teach RSE in the context of the schools aims and values and, in an age,-appropriate way. RSE is part of the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum in our school and while we use sex education to inform children about sexual issues, we do this with regard to matters of morality and individual responsibility, and in a way that allows children to ask questions.

We include the statutory ‘Relationships and Sex Education’ and ‘Citizenship’ within our whole-school PSHE Programme and ensure that we build in opportunities for this fundamental knowledge to be revisited at key points throughout their KS2 education. Biological aspects of RSE are taught within the Science curriculum.

Children have the opportunity to ask questions either verbally or by writing them down and putting them into a ‘Question Box’. Sometimes a child will ask an explicit or difficult question. Questions are not always answered directly and are addressed individually later. If pupils ask questions outside the scope of this policy, teachers respond in an appropriate manner so that the child is appropriately informed. Teachers use their skill and discretion in these situations and refer to the Subject Leader and parents/carers if they are concerned about a specific issue raised.

British Sign Language (BSL)

BSL Subject Leader – Mrs R Holland & Mrs A Hughes

To view the content spine and progression maps for BSL, please click here.

The purpose of our BSL curriculum at Emmbrook Junior School is to promote inclusion and facilitate communication between hearing pupils and those who are deaf. BSL has been recognised as an official language in the UK since 2013. Our school has a resource base for pupils who are deaf, many of whom use BSL. This means that our hearing pupils can and do use BSL in a real context with their peers. BSL is inclusive and accessible for all pupils. It is not a written language and therefore those pupils who struggle with writing have the opportunity to succeed in BSL alongside their peers.

It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and meet deaf role models. BSL teaching opens up discussions around written language including syntax, morphology, tenses, synonyms and antonyms.

Our BSL curriculum offers a carefully planned sequence of lessons, ensuring progressive coverage of the skills required by the Signature Level 1 BSL curriculum and the new proposed GCSE specification.

A linear curriculum has been chosen to allow opportunity for children to gradually build on their skills. BSL enables children to express their ideas and thoughts via sign and provides opportunities to interact and communicate with others both in speech and in writing. At the heart of our curriculum for BSL is the desire to expose children to authentic sign, so the scheme offers regular opportunities to meet deaf role models.

Through our BSL scheme, we intend to inspire pupils to develop a passion for inclusivity and to expand their horizons to other cultures and ways of communicating. We aim to help children grow into curious, confident and reflective BSL users and to provide them with a foundation that will equip them for interacting with deaf peers.

How is BSL taught at Emmbrook Junior School?

At Emmbrook Junior School we follow the Signature Level 1 scheme of work for BSL. Lessons are sequenced so that prior learning is considered and opportunities for revision of language and sentence structure are built in. Lessons occur weekly in years 3-6, taking 30 minutes.

Our lessons and resources help children to build on prior knowledge alongside the introduction of new skills. A series of lessons are suggested, providing structure and context as well as offering an insight into Deaf culture communities. The introduction and revision of key signs and grammatical structures is built into each lesson. This vocabulary is then included in display materials and additional resources so that children have opportunities to repeat and revise their learning. Our curriculum is designed by our BSL specialist teaching team, so that teachers feel confident and supported. All of our lesson packs contain weekly videos, worksheets and games to consolidate learning.

History

History Subject Leader: To view the content spine and progression maps for history, please click here.

At Emmbrook Junior School, we aim to enable all children to understand how the past has impacted Britain today. We ignite curiosity and foster awe and wonder through trips, visitors and experiences in order to develop a passion and respect of past events across the world. Children will be able to draw comparisons between different time periods and their own lives. We also aim for children to appreciate the achievements, lives and experiences of those who have come before them and understand their own place in history.

How do we teach history at Emmbrook Junior School?

During their four years at Emmbrook Junior School, children are taught eleven history units, each one linked to a period of history or a local history theme. We have identified the key knowledge and skills of each unit and consideration has been given to chronology, progression and connections throughout and between year groups.

By the end of Year 6, children will have an understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day and an appreciation of the achievements and significances of ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Maya. Some year groups have the opportunity to do a local study in order to understand how our local area of Emmbrook and Wokingham have links with the past.

Each history unit has a list of associated subject specific vocabulary linked toit which we ensure the children understand and are able to use in context. Concepts such as ‘childhood’, ‘who’s in charge’ and ‘impact on today’ are threaded through all the units so that children are able to make compare and contrast different periods of time regularly revisit these themes to help make knowledge ‘sticky.’

Geography

Geography Subject Leader:

To view the content spine and progression maps for geography, please click here.

The purpose of geography at Emmbrook Junior School is to inspire all children to actively engage with diverse world they live in. We aim to inspire a curiosity and fascination about the world’s processes, its human and physical features and its people. As their understanding deepens, we encourage children to make connections between contemporary geographical issues and the subject knowledge they acquire.

The teaching of geography at Emmbrook Junior School should provide children with the cultural capital that they will need to succeed in their lives beyond primary education. Through trips, visits and discussions of current affairs, children should become engaged with the world around them at a local, national and international level. We teach children in such a way as to develop a sense of agency and responsibility, as well as pride in their local community and endeavour to instil a curiosity in them that will continue in their secondary school careers. We want them to be able to speak in a confident and knowledgeable manner about a range of geographical topics and to take a genuine interest in how they can take an active role in ensuring the world is protected for their future.

We will deliver a curriculum which:

Emphasises the use of key geographical vocabulary
Ensures children understand the geographical processes that give rise to the human and physical features of the world
Provides contextual knowledge of the location and features of globally significant places, including on land and in oceans
Begins with more familiar locations and concepts, then broadens to exploring the less familiar
Develops children’s knowledge and understanding of place alongside geographical skills such as fieldwork, mapping and investigation
Highlights places, people, resources and environments around the globe
Allows learners to apply geographical thinking to new contexts and situations
Builds cyclically with opportunities to revisit concepts to ensure maximum learning is retained and enhanced
Encourages the exploration of children’s own locality and use this as a basis for connecting and contrasting with different places in the world
Encourages children to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways appropriate to the knowledge and skills being developed
Links back to children’s own place in the world and seeks to ensure they feel responsible for protecting it

How is geography taught at Emmbrook Junior School?

At Emmbrook Junior School, our Geography curriculum is cyclical, meaning children are exposed to concepts multiple times over their time with us, deepening their understanding each time. They are taught specific knowledge as well as geographical and analytical skills which they use to investigate key questions by the end of Key Stage 2. This knowledge is taught in small steps and revisited often, much like mathematics, to ensure concepts are secured before moving on. Lessons are taught making links wherever possible to other subjects such as science and mathematics and are designed to capture children’s interests in order to make learning memorable. Each lesson begins with a concept and vocabulary recap from the previous lesson, encouraging children to make connections across units.

Within lessons, key vocabulary is shared and utilised by teachers and learners to ensure accuracy in geographical explanations and assessment opportunities for teachers. We expect children to use tools such as atlases, globes, compasses, maps and digital technologies so they develop the required competency with these and understand their uses. The outdoor environment is used wherever possible and good use is made of carefully selected videos and images to demonstrate concepts visually.

Art

Art and Design Subject Leader:

To view our art content spine and progression maps, click here.

At Emmbrook Junior School, our purpose for the Art curriculum is to foster creativity, critical thinking, and emotional expression through a variety of artistic opportunities accessible by all. We aim to provide all pupils with a rich understanding of artistic techniques, cultural contexts, and the historical significance of art. Our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to enable pupils to seek inspiration from a wide range of diverse artists while allowing pupils the freedom to explore and develop their own styles, across different art mediums. Furthermore, we strive to illustrate to pupils how innovation and imagination can have an immensely valuable impact on mental health and the global economy, equipping them with skills that extend well beyond the classroom.

We will deliver a curriculum which:

Emphasises the use of key art vocabulary, enabling pupils to know, apply, and understand relevant skills and processes.
Develops children’s skills in drawing, painting, printing, sculpture and collage.
Ensures progress is made in their control and use of materials and tools through creativity and experimentation.
Cultivates an increasing awareness of diverse forms of art, craft, and design from across the world.
Enhances enquiry skills, fostering inquisitiveness about the world and the role of art and design within it.
Develops children’s confidence in analysing their own work and the work of great artists and articulating opinions on both personal and peer creations.
Builds cyclically with opportunities to revisit concepts to ensure maximum opportunities for skills to be enhanced.
Ensures children understand how art and design reflect and shape our history while contributing to the cultural richness and economic wealth of our nation.
Promotes resilience and perseverance through continual evaluation and enhancement of art projects.

How is art taught at Emmbrook Junior School?

At Emmbrook Junior School, our Art curriculum is cyclical, allowing children to be exposed to concepts multiple times, deepening their understanding and developing their skills. Our school-based scheme of work is linked closely to learning across the curriculum and builds on prior learning.
Art unit lessons are sequenced to introduce opportunities to study artists and techniques, practise and develop skills and plan and complete a final piece. Ongoing analysis of their own work and that of their peers is embedded in the pedagogy. Key vocabulary is shared and used by teachers and learners to promote discussion around artistic techniques and styles as well a cultural relevance. Teachers will ask open and closed questions as well as provide sentence stems to discuss artwork and themes.
Every child has a sketchbook to research artists and explore techniques. They are given the freedom to present their art in their own individual style with reference to the skills and artists taught. Teachers have their own sketchbooks to trial techniques and model carefully to the children within every lesson. Skills are modelled and developed in every lesson with practise lessons before planning and completing a final piece.
Year group planning is guided by a set of expected outcomes in the key concepts of drawing, painting, sculpture, printing and collage. This ensures progression is followed throughout the Key Stage and skills are developed across different medias under the assessment headings of novice, proficient and expert.

Design Technology

Design and Technology Subject Leader:

To view our DT content spine and progression maps, click here.

At Emmbrook Junior School, our purpose for the Design and Technology curriculum is to inspire and engage all learners through a high-quality, creative, and challenging programme. We aim to develop pupils’ skills in designing and making, encouraging them to think critically and innovatively to create purposeful designs. Our D&T curriculum will build on children’s’ recognition of designers from across the World and the processes behind their product design.

We will promote practical skills and encourage resilience in problem-solving, allowing children to consider their own and others’ needs in everyday life. Children will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing, and art.

To reflect current societal challenges, our D&T curriculum will instill an understanding of sustainable practices, providing all children with an appreciation for environmental issues and promoting responsible, enterprising citizenship. High-quality design and technology education can make an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth, and well-being of the nation.

We will deliver a curriculum which:

Recognises designers that represent the diverse cultures within our society and showcase a broad range of design skills and styles.
Incorporates knowledge from previous learning, ensuring continuity and depth.
Develops pupil’s skills in designing and making, and an appreciation of diverse designers that encourages them to think critically and innovatively when making evaluations and improvements as young designers of the future.
Covers the key design and technology concepts of food, textiles, mechanisms (including electrical systems) and construction.
Enhances enquiry skills, fostering curiosity about our world and the role of design and technology within it.
Provides a hands-on learning approach, using materials, tools and resources that allow for experiential learning.
Provides opportunities for children to identify areas for improvement in their projects and receive targeted teacher feedback to support progress.
Encourages individual and collaborative projects that develop children’s practical skills as well as their teamwork and communication abilities.
Enables students to demonstrate their understanding and ability to transfer learning from other subjects.
Promotes a profound and meaningful awareness around sustainability that will influence their future choices.

How is DT taught at Emmbrook Junior School?

At Emmbrook Junior School, the D&T curriculum is cyclical, exposing children to concepts over thereby deepening their understanding and developing their skill set. Our school-based scheme of work, which follows the National Curriculum, is linked closely to learning across the curriculum and builds on prior learning. We have developed a progression of knowledge, skills, techniques, materials and resources building on from each year group.
Our Design and Technology curriculum is designed to enable teachers to deliver engaging, practical and purposeful lessons, where learning is facilitated through an analytical approach of existing products/designs. This hands-on learning, critical questioning, flexible thinking and problem solving is taught in mixed-ability class groups, where the focus is on all pupils working together on the same lesson content at the same time. Scaffolding is used to support and challenge pupils and ensure all new skills and knowledge are fully embedded. Oracy is promoted with a subject vocabulary spine in discussion and questioning. Children are shown how to work safely to lead their own research and create their own designs.
At Emmbrook Junior School, the D&T curriculum is cyclical, exposing children to concepts over thereby deepening their understanding and developing their skill set. Our school-based scheme of work, which follows the National Curriculum, is linked closely to learning across the curriculum and builds on prior learning. We have developed a progression of knowledge, skills, techniques, materials and resources building on from each year group.
Our Design and Technology curriculum is designed to enable teachers to deliver engaging, practical and purposeful lessons, where learning is facilitated through an analytical approach of existing products/designs. This hands-on learning, critical questioning, flexible thinking and problem solving is taught in mixed-ability class groups, where the focus is on all pupils working together on the same lesson content at the same time. Scaffolding is used to support and challenge pupils and ensure all new skills and knowledge are fully embedded. Oracy is promoted with a subject vocabulary spine in discussion and questioning. Children are shown how to work safely to lead their own research and create their own designs.

Music

Music Subject Leader: Mrs Furnell

To see the music content spine and progression maps, click here.

Music lessons at Emmbrook Junior School enable all pupils to learn the basic theory of music as well as to appreciate, enjoy and perform music in a positive and nurturing environment. This empowers and encourages them to develop a life-long love of the subject which they will be able to transfer and apply when appreciating a genre of music; recommending their choices to others or learning to play an instrument. By giving them the tools to recognise and appreciate the world through the eyes of music, we hope that our pupils will grow into reflective and well-rounded individuals who are not afraid to explore, create and perform music of their own for themselves and others to enjoy. We aim to listen critically to music so pupils can expand their musical horizons and gain a deeper understanding of how music is constructed and how it impacts the listener.

The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:

understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations
learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians

All students at EJS have the opportunity to sing every week during singing assembly and to perform solo and ensemble pieces in our celebration assembly on a Friday. We aim to offer a range of additional music activities the children can be involved with including choir where children have opportunity to perform concerts including WASMA, Loddon carols at Christmas and to parents at whole school events. In Year 4 and 6, students will have had the opportunity to perform to the whole school and parents in year group production. Beyond the classroom, Emmbrook Junior School offers extra-curricular music activities, including tuition for piano, acoustic and electric guitar. In addition to this, Rock Steady visit the school weekly to provide lessons in voice, electric guitar, drums and keyboard.

Music is integrated into all parts of society and by developing some understanding about the impact music has on us, the children will see the purpose and importance of music in our everyday lives.

How is music taught at Emmbrook Junior School?

Every child who leaves Emmbrook Junior School in Year 6 would have had the opportunity to learn and practice how to play the glockenspiel, recorder and ukulele (all provided by EJS) through the use of the music scheme, SparkYard.

By using Sparkyard, it enables us to achieve our overriding goal for each child to foster a lasting love of music and enjoyment for singing within the classroom and throughout Emmbrook Junior School. In addition to their weekly music lessons, every child has the opportunity to develop their singing during our weekly singing assemblies and attending our choir group after school.

As well as having the opportunity to take part in extra-curricular music activities, including tuition for piano, acoustic and electric guitar. In addition to this, Rock Steady visit the school weekly to provide lessons in voice, electric guitar, drums and keyboard.

Click here for our school’s Music Development Plan.

Religious Education (RE)

RE Subject Leader: Mrs Brooks

To see the RE content spine and progression maps, click here.

The core purpose of Religious Education is to promote religious literacy—the ability to understand and engage meaningfully with a diverse and complex religious and non-religious world. In an increasingly interconnected and multi-faith society, being religiously literate equips pupils with the knowledge, empathy, and critical thinking needed to navigate difference with confidence and respect.

RE enables pupils to explore a broad spectrum of religions and worldviews, gaining insight into the beliefs, practices, values and traditions that shape people’s lives. This knowledge is not just academic; it lays the foundation for informed and balanced conversations about religion, belief, and the human experience. Students are encouraged to ask deep questions, examine different perspectives, and make sense of how worldviews influence individuals and societies.

But Religious Education is more than just acquiring knowledge. It also provides a rich opportunity for students to develop spiritually, morally, socially, and culturally. Through RE, pupils reflect on their own beliefs and values, learning to articulate them thoughtfully while appreciating the diverse beliefs of others. This reflective process fosters a sense of identity, purpose, and belonging—qualities that are essential for personal growth and responsible citizenship.

In essence, we teach RE to nurture curious, open-minded, and respectful individuals who are prepared to live well with others, contribute positively to their communities, and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.

Through our RE curriculum, we ensure all children develop their knowledge and understanding of the traditions and beliefs of the major religions represented in our school community and the wider world. We encourage the children to appreciate and respect different cultures and help them to recognise and challenge prejudice. We aim to deliver this curriculum in a respectful and investigative way, by sharing opinions, ideas, values and beliefs within the class and inviting in visitors. This allows children to gain a good insight into others’ beliefs as well as their own.

We want pupils to:

Develop a deep understanding of religious and non-religious worldviews.
Explore the big questions of life that shape human experience, identity, and meaning.
Learn through academic disciplines—Theology, Philosophy, and Human/Social Sciences—to build curiosity, reasoning, and empathy.
Reflect on their own worldview, values, and beliefs, and understand how these shape their responses to the world around them.
Engage with real people, real stories, and lived experiences of belief to bring learning to life.

How is RE taught at Emmbrook Junior School?

Through our use of the agreed local authority syllabus of ‘Jigsaw RE’, we enable children to gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and world views and to use that knowledge to engage in informed and balanced conversations about them. RE is taught regularly and consistently across all year groups where every half term they will answer their ‘big question’ based on a particular faith group.

These lessons will be discussion based where the children have the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas in a respectful and safe environment. The children will have the opportunity to see artefacts, watch videos and look at pictures and images related to the topic that they are learning about.

Children leaving Emmbrook Junior School will have knowledge and understanding about Christianity, Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), Judaism, Sikhism and Islam. Christianity is taught in every year group with Easter & Christmas modules being taught in each year to give a progressive approach to learning.

Each module is based on a particular faith, using an enquiry question and taught using a 4 -step process of Engagement, Investigation, Evaluation & Expression. Each module also indicates links to Key British Values which are woven through the learning.

Step 1 – Engagement: Our first lesson is all about exploring the big question and how children can link it with their own experience.

Step 2 – Investigation: The children are guided through the enquiry, using a range of appropriate resources for experiential learning, allowing the children to ‘step into’ the subject using a wide range of learning styles.

Step 3 – Evaluation: This draws together the children’s learning, allowing them time to reflect on their own lives and to reach their own conclusions about the key question of that enquiry.

Step 4 – Expression: This can be through a task such as record a podcast, have a debate, create a PowerPoint etc. Children are taken back to Step 1, their own experience, to reflect on how this enquiry might have influenced their own starting points and beliefs.

We celebrate the diversity of our school community through whole school assemblies where children build upon prior knowledge and learn about and celebrate key religious festivals. In Autumn Term we cover Diwali, Hanukkah and Christingle. In the Spring Term, we cover Lent, Holi, Ramadan, Eid al Fitr and Vaisakhi. In the Summer Term we cover Eid al-Adha.

The Right of Withdrawal from Religious Education

Religion and belief have become more visible in public life in recent years, making it important that all pupils should have an opportunity to engage in RE. However, the parent of a pupil at a community, foundation or voluntary school (or pupils themselves if they are aged 18 or over) may request that they be excused from all or part of the religious education (RE) provided.

Parents who wish to withdraw their children from RE should be aware of its aims and what is covered in the RE curriculum and that they are given the opportunity to discuss this if they wish. It should be made clear whether the withdrawal is from the whole RE curriculum or specific parts of it. No reasons need be given, though the right of withdrawal must be given in writing, addressed to the headteacher Mrs York.

Important – Limitations to Withdraw

If pupils are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching. A pupil may be required to work in another area of the school, such as library or break out area.
Whilst parents or carers have a right to withdraw children from RE, they should note that children may also encounter religions and beliefs and wider aspects of faith in other areas of the curriculum from which there is no right of withdrawal.
On occasion, spontaneous questions about religious matters are raised by pupils or issues related to religion arise in other curriculum subjects such as history or citizenship (PSHE) For example, schools promote community cohesion and help pupils to understand ideas about identity and diversity, feelings and emotions within both religious and non-religious contexts.

Managing the Right of Withdrawal

If pupils are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching or to incur extra cost. Pupils will usually remain on school premises where it is feasible and appropriate.

Where a request for withdrawal is made, the school must comply and excuse the pupil until the request is rescinded. Though not legally required, it is good practice for a head teacher to invite parents to discuss their written request.

(Section 71(3), School Standards and Framework Act 1998).